Michelle Obama

US First Lady, "Mom-in-Chief" and now fast becoming a style icon, Michelle Obama was born on 17.1.1964 in Chicago. No time of birth is available, so her chart is set up for noon. With Sun and Mercury in Capricorn, she has no less than 6 planets spanning the Signs of Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.

Her chart resembles an open box - the lid is propped open at an angle but is held firmly in place by some of the closely-grouped planets. Although the orientation of the chart would change if her time of birth was available, the image would remain, albeit with the lid facing a different direction. It would be open to a different area of the chart altogether, and not to 11th House as it is here. But let's just stick with the open box image because a great deal of openness comes across from this striking woman when she's seen on TV. I specifically here call to mind her recent visit to the UK when Barack Obama attended the G20 conference in London.

Michelle had her own programme of visits, and the most notable and striking images and footage of her was at a multi-language girls' school in London where she encouraged the girls to become the very best they could. She spoke openly and from the heart and she gave high fives and hugs rather than handshakes.

Her chart, composed of triangular aspect patterns and linear aspects shows a flexible and adaptable motivation, laced with restlessness and the need to go off and do her own thing. Her colour balance of 2 red: 3 green: 3 blue aspects indicates little ability to rest and switch off, with plenty of restless and sensitive activity being most likely. This is not a lady who will sit and twiddle her thumbs for long, as her very active role in the presidential campaign showed.

Michelle has two aspect patterns in her chart: a Learning Triangle and an Ambivalence Figure. The Learning Triangle is pinned by planets Jupiter and and Uranus (which is conjunct Pluto - this conjunction is found in the charts of the '60's generation), with the Moon's Node at the 3rd corner. For me, this aspect pattern suggests learning which will stretch boundaries and bring insights and revelations. If the House where the Moon's Node is placed were known ( we don't know because we don't have the birth time) I could say more about the area of life where she has the greatest and most rewarding lessons to learn. As it is, the Node in Cancer suggests a pull towards involvement with the wider collective and the need to feel part of a family; in Michelle's case this is expressed through her "Mom-in-Chief" role as well as her commitment to her country.

The Ambivalence Figure shows Mercury opposite the Node, and indicates that mercurial pursuits could come easily (she is a lawyer). The work - indeed the struggle - may go on internally between committing to her current role and the pull to have her own career. This aspect pattern has an "escape" corner where the 2 blue aspects meet. Uranus sits here, maybe not offering much restful escape, but it provides an interesting pivotal planet for both this aspect pattern and the Learning triangle. Change was the keynote of Obama's campaign, and is reflected in his Uranus being on the "You" side of his chart in 7th House, and close to the DC. Michelle, too, will embrace change and ride its waves more easily with her adaptable motivation. With Pluto conjunct Uranus, she may actively welcome it.

Her Sun in Capricorn, although relatively weak by Sign at 26 degrees and not strongly aspected, is supported by it's one-way conjunction to Mars. These two Cardinal planets are two of a kind in that they are will-oriented. In Capricorn they will help her stick with it when the going is tough because the long-term goal is what is important, no matter how long it takes to get there.

For more on Planets and Aspect Pattern Astrology see the Huber's books, available on line from the APA Book Shop, along with my books Aspect Patterns in Colour, The Living Birth Chart and the Cosmic Egg Timer which cover all these topics, and more besides.